Dotidae or Dotoidae?

March 9, 2004
From: Bill Rudman

I have been asked a number of times about my use of DOTIDAE in the Forum as the correct spelling of the family name. I am surprised how many publications and online databases use the incorrect spelling DOTOIDAE. Here is a brief outline of the history of this family-group name based on the genus Doto Oken, 1815:

Gray (1853) introduced the name DOTONIDAE and Jeffreys (1896) introduced the name DOTOIDAE. This confusion was brought to the attention of the International Commission by Henning Lemche and Nils Odhner. After some debate and advice from their 'Classical adviser", the Commission decided that neither spelling was correct and in April 1964 (Opinion 697) corrected the spelling to DOTIDAE retaining Gray, 1853 as the date and authorship of the name.

• International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1964) Doto Oken, 1815 (Gastropoda): validated under the plenary powers. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 21(2): 97-100.

Rudman, W.B., 2004 (Mar 9) Dotidae or Dotoidae?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12384